Breast Cancer




	BREAST CANCER: Thousands of women are affected by breast cancer annually. The YWCA wishes to empower women to learn how to take good care of their health through knowledge and action thus reducing their risk of breast cancer. The FACTS: According to the National Cancer Institute, more that 175,000 wives, mothers, sisters and loved ones will be diagnosed with the disease this year and 43,000 of them will lose the battle. Very scary statistics about the risk of developing breast cancer abound; for example, the oft-quoted "1 in 9" lifetime risk of getting breast cancer. From 1995 to 1998, deaths from breast cancer fell 3.4. However, the number of new breast cancer cases rose 1.2 percent per year, from 1992 to 1998. Eight out of every ten lumps are benign, or not cancerous. If you discover a persistent lump in your breast or any changes in breast tissue, it is very important that you immediately see a physician. This year 182,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 43,300 will die; however, 1,600 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 400 will die. Most women who have breast cancer have no family history. Whether large or small, the size of a woman's breasts does not place her at a higher risk. The leading cause of death for African-American women, ages 30-54, is breast cancer. The ACTION: Prevention ideas: A mammogram is a diagnostic tool used to find breast cancer, not a treatment. A mammogram is a simple procedure that can reveal small breast cancers up to two years before they can be detected by touch. A three-part plan of protection is vital to good breast care: monthly self-exams, annual visits to the doctor, and regularly scheduled mammograms. It is the responsibility of women to take charge of their own health care by planning for good health. Sign the petition to stop drive-through mastectomies, go to our quick links page for web link! See our "Quick Links" page for web links on Breast Cancer